Snow Was Settling
by seeyouontheice
Summary: i realise that christmas was a while ago, just pretend, okay?


Snow was settling in their hair and the wind was bitingly cold but Jac suddenly felt warmer than she'd felt for a long time.

She felt his lips brush tentatively against hers and his hands were round her waist; he held her close to him as she found her hands resting on his neck. The cold night air made Jac catch her breath as Jonny pulled away all too soon leaving her wanting more. She looked up into his eyes and wondered why she'd never noticed how perfect they were before now. His breath was warm against her face and his skin flinched slightly at the touch of her numb fingers on his neck and they curled into his hair as he smiled and kissed her nose. It had been short, but the kiss they'd just shared had been perfect.

Jonny's cold hands stroked her cheek and Jac closed her eyes at his touch. He was all she wanted; she just hoped that she was all he wanted in return. "Do you want to stay round mine tonight?" Jonny asked softly, his hands back round her waist. "That is, unless you'd rather wake up alone on Christmas Day?"

"I've woken up alone at Christmas every day since my mother walked out when I was twelve … which happened to _be on_ Christmas Day …" Jac looked up at him and smiled to hide the pain she felt at the truth. "Yeah … I'd love to stay round yours tonight … I'll be round in half hour, okay?" He nodded, and then kissed her again, but more passionately than before and she clung to him; wanting everything that his kiss promised and more. He then cruelly ended the kiss before it was over and pushed her towards her car. "Jonny … that's not fair!" She pulled him towards her and held him close, "you can't leave me with an unfinished kiss!"

"See you in half hour; and if you're lucky, I may even finish it for you." He winked at her with a cocky and confident grin on his face before heading towards his car.

Jac cursed him and got into her car and watched in her rear-view mirror as Jonny got into his own car and pulled out of the hospital car park. She smiled at the thought of spending the night with Jonny and started the engine of her car. She backed out of the parking space and sped out of the car park and hit the main road through Holby. Ten minutes later she pulled up outside her block of flats and killed the engine as she parked in her allocated spot.

Climbing out of her car, Jac grabbed her bag and hurried across the road and into the building. She ran up the five flights to her floor, just as she did every day, and dug her keys out of the bottom of her bag before unlocking her front door and entering her small one-bedroom flat.

She checked the time and accepted that she was going to be late; the traffic had slowed her down and Jonny lived on the other side of Holby. Jac grabbed an overnight bag and shoved some spare clothes into it along with her toiletries and hesitated before locating the present she'd bought for Jonny. He'd seen a classic silver wrist-watch when they'd been in town a few months back and mentioned in passing how his father always used to wear one and that he never knew what the time was. Surprisingly, it was only after Jac had ended their relationship that she'd gone out and bought the watch – guilty for going out with the paediatrician and not knowing it was Jonny's birthday. Jac had wrapped it up; intending on giving it to him as a late birthday gift and as a way to say she was sorry, but she'd not had the courage. After checking all the lights were off and that she had everything, Jac hurried out of her flat and back to her car; throwing her two bags on the passenger seat and cursing the time.

She pulled up outside Jonny's building thirty minutes later and grabbed her bags as she got out of the car, making sure it was locked; Jac keyed in the code for the main door and entered the lobby of the building. Ignoring the lifts, Jac climbed the seven flights to the top floor of the building and then turned right and continued to the end of the corridor to the last door on the left and knocked. Half a moment later Jonny opened the door and silently stood aside to let her in.

"You're late," he smirked.

"Unless traffic jams don't apply to you; you can't have been here for much longer; ten minutes at the most." Jac replied putting her bags on the small table by the door and hanging up her coat and scarf and kicking off her shoes.

"Fifteen," Jonny corrected, "and unfortunately traffic jams do apply to me."

"Oh, so what am I doing here then?" Jac smiled kissing him sweetly in greeting.

Jonny laughed and headed to the kitchen where Jac could smell something cooking. He poured two glasses of wine and handed her one, watching her intently. Jac murmured her thanks and glanced round at Jonny's Christmas decorations; he'd seemed to have begun decorating and then gotten distracted half way through and then never got round to finishing.

Jac took a sip of her wine and turned back to Jonny and leant against the kitchen counter while he busied himself with finding plates and cutlery. She wondered what he'd cooked as he found two trays and checked the oven before straightening up and facing, leaning against the counter and smiling at her. Jac couldn't help but smile back.

Two hours later, Jac and Jonny were sitting on the sofa in each other's arms watching the final scene of some crappy Christmas film that had been on the TV. Jonny got up and put their empty trays and glasses on the counter before pulling Jac to her feet and kissing her unexpectedly. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back; pouring everything she was into the kiss.

And then their clothes littered the floor as they fell back onto the sofa, caught in the moment. He wanted her so badly; Jac could feel it as she pulled herself over him and hung her lips tantalisingly close to his as he ran his hands over her body. She wanted him just as badly but there was something she had to tell him first …

"I love you." Jac whispered; his heartbeat pounding beneath her hand as she spoke. "I love you too much to ever let you go again."

Jonny rolled over, taking her face between his hands and trapping her between him and the sofa. "I love you too." He breathed as gave in to their desires and what they now knew was love. Jac moaned and lost track of time as her body moved with his to the point where they felt like they were one; it was instinct and it was the most natural thing in the world. All she heard was Jonny's panting moans mixed with her own as they tried to prove to the other that they meant the words they'd spoken.

At some point Jac felt them fall from the sofa and hit the carpeted floor. Jac just felt him smile and laugh with her as he held her closer than she thought it was possible. She surrendered to Jonny's touch and to him; knowing for the first time that she was truly safe.

Nothing mattered. And when, finally, they found they were lying side by side with sweat over their bodies and their chests heaving, Jonny turned to Jac and kissed her lovingly; the flat was strangely silent now. She was tired and got to her feet, heading for Jonny's bed and a moment later, after he'd switched off all the lights, Jonny joined her with his safe arms. She snuggled into him and let him hold her tightly as she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep; tomorrow – or today, Jac wasn't sure of the time – was Christmas and Jac had the one thing she needed and wanted above everything else holding her tightly while she slept.

Jonny woke early the next morning to find Jac still fast asleep next to him. Judging by the fact there was no light coming through the curtains, it was still dark. He smiled; she looked so peaceful lying there, as if she had not a care in the world and Jonny felt honoured that she let him see her at her most vulnerable. She stirred slightly, and reached out for him in her sleep. He smiled some more and pulled her back into his arms and kissed her cheek before settling back down to sleep for a few more hours until daylight. He noticed a small smile upon Jac's lips and grinned.

A blaringly loud ringtone woke them both much later when the sunlight was streaming through the curtains. Jonny sat up and scratched his head while Jac rolled onto her back rubbing her eyes and looked groggily round for the source. "What – what …?"

"My phone …" Jonny muttered.

Jac groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. "It's too early for phone calls Jonny," she told him as he climbed out of bed and headed for the bedroom door without bothering to put any clothes on, "come back to bed …"

"It's half ten in the morning Jac," he called sleepily through the door as he located his phone and answered it. Jac groaned again and pulled the duvet over her head. She could hear Jonny talking on the phone exchanging 'Merry Christmases' and chatting about whatever they were chatting about. Suddenly the covers were pulled off her and Jonny was kneeling on the bed beside her.

"Go away," Jac moaned, trying to hide back under the covers but Jonny, grinned and held onto them firmly. Jac tried to fight him for them but Jonny was stronger than her.

"Okay," he was saying, "no I'll ask her … yes ... okay … love ya too ... see ya later." He ended the call and leant across Jac and put his mobile on the bedside table.

"So …" Jac murmured as Jonny kissed her neck like he had last night. "Who was that?"

"My sister …" Jonny told her in between kisses, "she rung because I was supposed …" he ran his hands over her body, "… to be at hers for nine to start the …" he kissed her lips lingeringly and Jac wrapped her arms round his shoulders, "… to start the Christmas Dinner." Jac kissed him back before reluctantly pushing him away so he could finish the story.

"So you're in some deep shit with her then." Jac murmured.

He shook his head. "Her husband started without me … she rung to see where I was and kinda guessed that she woke me up."

"And you blamed me?" Jac asked her hands either side of his face.

"No … Mo mentioned to her that she'd seen us kissing in the car park last night and Sarah asked if you had stayed the night." He sighed at Jac's raised eyebrow. "Sarah invited her over too – Mo's pretty much part of the family anyway – and she said I could bring you too, that is … if you wanted to …"

"I can't …" Jac pushed him away and sat on the edge of the bed.

Jonny rubbed her shoulders, "because of your mum walking out on Christmas when you were twelve?"

Jac nodded and sighed, "I just don't like family Christmases. It doesn't matter how hard you try, you just don't feel like you belong." Jonny wrapped his arms round her waist, brushed her hair over one shoulder, and kissed her, "I have tried before, but … it's humiliating."

"Can't you try again?" Jonny asked, "Just once more, for me …" Jac wanted, so badly, to spend the day with Jonny but she knew that he had promised his family he'd be there, "Jac …?"

Jac sighed and stood up; "can I have a shower?"

Jonny nodded, "so long as you promise to _think_ about coming."

"I will." Jac left the bedroom, making her way to the bathroom, grabbing her overnight bag from the table by the front door as she passed. She shut herself in and took a deep breath before turning the shower on and locating her toiletries. As she opened her bag she found the present for Jonny. She slowly took it out of the bag and leant against the door. She looked at the gift and realised that she wanted to try, for him, to spend Christmas with his family – and Mo.

Half an hour later Jac left the bathroom with a towel wrapped round her and her wet hair lose round her face. Jonny was already dressed in his usual jeans and an old tatty t-shirt. At Jac's look he followed her into the bedroom and took his top off and located a smart shirt in desperate need of an iron.

"You're not planning on wearing that without ironing it are you? Otherwise I'm not coming." Jonny groaned and Jac smirked; he hated ironing, "can you iron mine for me too please?" she asked him sweetly, handing him her clean rumpled blouse from the bottom of her bag. "Love you," she added as he left the room.

Jonny grinned over his shoulder as he shut the door. Jac hurriedly got dressed and then went into the spare bedroom where the mirror and hair dryer was; Mo and Jac had complained so much to him one day at work about the lack of hair drying facilities in his flat that he'd gone out and bought one just to shut them up. It was one of the only times the two women had worked together; the victory had been strangely sweet. Despite the amount of hair Jac had, it took a surprisingly short time to dry. She wondered out of the room, running her brush through her hair, which was in its natural wavy state since Jonny had said a firm no to hair straighteners, to see that Jonny had only just found the iron.

She kissed his cheek as she passed him on her way back to the main bedroom to grab the present she'd gotten him ages ago. She hesitated on her way out of the room; would he like it? Jac watched as Jonny ironed his shirt and her blouse from the doorway and laughed at how badly he was doing it. Finally, to save the clothing rather than his pride Jac removed the iron from him, putting the wrapped box on the counter.

"It's a wonder you can arrive presentable to work every day." Jac told him, starting to iron his shirt properly. Jonny stood back his arms folded across his bare chest and watched her. Jac finished the navy shirt and turned to hand it to him, it was still warm from the heat of the iron.

"Thanks … what's this?" he nodded toward the present on the counter. Jac turned back to the ironing board before answering.

"Something for you … I got it a while ago – I felt guilty for not realising it was your birthday and for going out with …" Jac searched for the name but couldn't find it, "whatever his name was – and I kept finding an excuse not to give it to you … but I've run out of excuses." Jac concentrated on ironing the blouse of hers – for once pleased with the difficulty it presented.

Behind her, Jonny had slipped on his shirt and picked up the gift and started to unwrap it in silence. He opened the box and pulled out the silver wrist-watch he'd seen in the shop window weeks and weeks ago. Jac still had her back to him so she couldn't see the smile upon his face; he waited until she'd put the iron down and switched it off before wrapping his arms round her waist resting his chin on her shoulder.

Jac bit her lip to hide her smile as she turned and let him murmur his thanks against her lips. She kissed him back and lifted her hand to his stubbly chin. "So I take it you like it," Jac whispered as he pulled away.

"You could say that." He grinned, "I didn't get you anything," Jonny murmured.

"I didn't expect to you." Jac told him.

"I hadn't finished," Jonny told her.

"Okay … continue."

Jonny kissed her again. "But I do have …" he let her go and disappeared into his bedroom for a moment. Jac frowned as she pulled her blouse on and buttoned it up as she heard the sound of boxes falling from a high shelf and Jonny yelling in surprise. A second later he emerged from the room, hurriedly shutting the door on the mess of his bedroom, with something in his hand and an odd look on his face. "It was my mothers." He said by way of an explanation as he placed the something in her hand.

Jac looked down and found he'd given her a solid gold chain necklace. She picked it up and ran it through her fingers admiring the simplicity of its beauty. Judging by the weight of the chain, it was made of at least twenty karat gold and had been extremely expensive when first bought – probably still was. "It's beautiful …" Jac whispered.

"My grandmother gave it to my dad to give to my mum … apparently it's been passed down like that for generations." He shrugged; "it was made in traditional Scottish methods and is one of a kind – or some kinda crap like that."

"I …" Jac looked up at him. "I can't …" Jonny took the chain from her and hung it round her neck.

"I want you to … please." Jac closed her eyes and let him take her into his arms. "Because you mean everything to me; and my granny told me to give it to you – so did Sarah – when I went up to Scotland in the summer."

"Thank you." Jac said finally, kissing him in gratitude. "And I love you."

"I love you too."

There was a loud hammering on the door and Jonny frowned. He picked up the watch and placed it on his left wrist as he headed for his front door. Jac busied herself in unplugging the iron and folding the ironing board down as he opened the door. "Mo. What are you doing here?"

Jac looked up as Mo stepped past Jonny and cast an eye around the room; Jac was thankful Jonny had taken the time while she was showering to pick up their discarded clothes from the night before. "Your sister sent me to hurry you along," she told Jonny, poking him in the chest, "and to make sure Jac hadn't convinced you to ditch us for her."

"Jac's coming." Jonny told his bestfriend somewhat smugly as he put the iron and ironing board away in the spare room, "you could've at least put it back where it belongs!" he yelled at Jac.

Mo raised a questioning eyebrow. "Hairdryer," Jac explained. Mo smiled.

"At least someone's getting his money's worth out of it."

"Somehow I don't think he sees it that way."

"Probably not," Jac knew Mo was dying to know why Jac had agreed to come and dying to know all the juicy details of last night because Sacha would be too. "So, you two made up then?"  
"No; actually we're mortal enemies trying to ruin each other's lives."

"I did kinda walk into that one …"

"You could say that." Jac checked her hand bag and located her phone, which had slipped down the back of the sofa, before pulling on her shoes and coat.

Jonny returned to the kitchen buttoning his shirt and grabbed his tie from the back of the sofa. "Give me a minute." He told the two women waiting for him by the front door.

"I thought he was supposed to be the one waiting for you?" Mo asked.

"It's not my house." Jac pointed out, "I don't have something I need in every room."

Mo laughed, "You know, you're not that bad … really."

"You've been talking to Sacha too much …" Jac told her before giving in, "but I suppose I have too; you're alright really."

Jonny pulled on his leather jacket and picked up his keys; "finally; shall we get going?" he said brightly.

Jac rolled her eyes. "Thought you'd never ask," Mo said sarcastically, leading the way out of the flat.

"Where's your car?" Jonny asked Mo as they waited for the lift.

"We've already had a bottle of wine so I got a cab."

"So that's why you're being so nice?" Jac said. Her comment bought the pair of them out in grins, which pleased Jac for some reason. "I'm not going to regret agreeing to come am I?" she asked Jonny as they stepped into the lift.

"Just down any alcoholic substance they give you and you'll be fine – it's what I do." Mo told her, causing Jonny to hit her playfully on the shoulder.

"Seriously though, you're family's not going to demand to know every boring and, let's be honest, painful part of my past are they?"

"Probably …" Jonny admitted, "but just tell them the boring stuff; Mo will probably tell them the other bits after she'd dragged it out of me so you won't need to."

"Yeah, Jonny Mac, we need to have a chat about this girlfriend of yours," Mo grinned at the pair of them.

"Thank God Sacha's not here;" Jac muttered loud enough for them both to hear, "someone would be dead by now."

The lift doors opened and Jonny led the way out of his building to the car park where he discovered that someone had slit his tyres. "What the fuck?" He walked round his car, his accent making his swearing seem much viler than it actually was while Jac and Mo waited for him to finish fuming at his latest Christmas present. A pair of boys about twelve and thirteen sat on the wall in front of the entrance to the flats, laughing at Jonny's anger and disgust.

Mo checked the time on her phone, "when we finally get there; we blame all the lateness on Jonny, agreed?"

"Well I'm not the one swearing at my car." Jac agreed, digging her own car keys out of her coat pocket and watching Jonny with amusement.

Mo tilted her head in agreement and then shook her head at her bestfriend. "Oi, Jonny Mac, hurry up with the profanities will ya? It's Jesus's birthday, not Hitler's."

Jac let out a short laugh and, deciding it was too cold standing out in the car park, unlocked her car and sat down in the driver's seat. A second later the passenger door opened and Mo clambered in. "Couldn't put the heating on could you? Jonny's gonna be a while yet." Jac obliged by turning on the engine and making sure the heating was up high enough. "Thanks," Mo said after a minute or so.

Jac didn't reply. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting impatiently for Jonny to finish swearing at his car's lack of movement. "Where does this sister of his live?" Jac asked suddenly, aware that she had no clue whatsoever.

"Porter's Road," Mo replied, "you know it?"

"Yeah," Porter's Road; the rich and the influential of Holby City lived along that road, including the infamous Lady Byrne and her late husband. "Which one?" the houses along the mile long street weren't numbered; instead they'd been given names which looked far more impressive when written down with the rest of their address.

"Mabel House."

Jac nodded; her gut clenching. Mable House was right next door to the home of the family Jac had pretty much single headedly destroyed. She was saved dwelling on it for much longer because the back door opened and Jonny slid in, bringing a gust of icy air with him. "Shall we get going?" he asked and his voice was slightly hoarse from all his shouting. Jac suspected that the boys had been behind the prank. "Know where it is, Jac?"

"I've already told her." Mo answered as Jac pulled out of the car park and onto the side road Jonny's building was on.

That Jac needed no instruction on how to get to Porter's Road didn't go unmissed by her passengers. All three of them sat in silence; Jonny and Mo both wondered how to broach the subject to Jac. When they reached the pristine street with the neat fences and walls and brightly coloured front doors and expensive cars parked in the drive ways, Jac finally spoke, "so how come your sister's managed to end up here and you're stuck in a two bedroomed flat next to the factory?"

Jonny laughed, "She used the money we got when our parents died to get the place. They have no mortgage on it; since there was enough to buy it outright, and all they have to do is pay insurance and bills."

"Alright for some," Jac murmured,

"What did you spend your money on?" Mo asked Jonny suddenly.

"I haven't." He replied shortly as Jac parked behind Mo's car and killed the engine. Jac was the last to get out of the car and as they crossed the street, she did her best to avoid looking at the house to the right of Sarah Maconie's.

Jonny banged unceremoniously on the front door and a second later the door was opened by a rather sweet four-year-old girl in a red dress and bare feet. "Uncle Jonny!" the girl squealed and launched herself at him. Jonny grinned, picked his niece up and led the way inside. Mo squeezed past him, taking the girl with her as she made her way down the hall.

A car door slammed shut behind her as Jac made to step into the house and she couldn't help turn to see none other than her ex run across the road and disappear into the house on the right. Just before he did, however, he turned and glanced to his left and met Jac's eyes for the tiniest of seconds before a brown haired woman opened the door and kissed his cheek. She turned her gaze to the left, curious to see what held his gaze and Jac felt Jonny kiss hers as he took her hands in his before taking a glance at next door. In those few seconds, an understanding passed between the two on the doorsteps; they had moved on. They gave each other the smallest of smiles to say that they were happy for the other and then stepped into the waiting homes and waiting Christmases.

Jac quickly shut the door behind her and took a deep breath. She knew that Joseph hadn't told anyone who didn't already know about her because she hadn't told anyone who didn't already know about him. And she wasn't going to today; she'd pretend she didn't know him and he'd pretend he didn't know her until they were ready to try and explain to someone new just what they'd meant to each other.

"What was that?" Jonny asked, taking Jac's coat and hanging it up for her.

Jac shrugged. "Just an old friend, I'll tell you some other time." Jac dismissed the encounter and kissed Jonny on the lips.

He accepted her reply and then grinned before taking her hand and dragging her reluctantly into his family Christmas.

Jac found she was smiling.


End file.
